The one guide you'll need to know about the openings coming your way in the week ahead. This week, there are New Haven-style pizzas in Covent Garden, tacos in Dalston, regional Indian food in a Shepherd's Bush pub and more...
Toastee
White City - Unit 1018B, Westfield, Ariel Way, London W12 7JQ
Toastee comes from Panadera's Florence Mae Maglanoc, and for this opening in Westfield, the main focus is on French toast mixed with Filipino flavours. So you'll find options like ube jam, matcha ganache and Milo cookies & cream (as well as the more classic butter and maple syrup). The drinks sound just as interesting, with ube making a strong appearance in all of them.
Opening date: 31 October 2026
Opening offer: Find out how to get 50% off
Acme Taco
Dalston - 40Ft Brewery, Bootyard, Abbot St, London E8 3DP
The original Acme Taco was a team-up between Andrew Clarke's Acme Fire Cult and 40FT Brewery in Walthamstow. Now they're opening a second taco restaurant in Dalston (next to Acme Fire Cult). Expect double-layered tortillas on tacos like ribeye steak with cheese and poblano, including some exclusive to Dalston, as well as bigger sharing platters.
Opening date: 1 November 2026
Lenny's
Covent Garden - 24 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8ND
Lenny's first popped up in a Finsbury Park pub, where it was all about bringing authentic New Haven-style pizzas (charred/chewy crust, more tomatoes) to London. Run by Max Lewis, it's now opening a permanent standalone pizzeria in Covent Garden with the classic Lenny's pizzas alongside new additions and some small plates to start.
Opening date: 27 October 2026
The Talli Queen
Shepherd's Bush - 412 Uxbridge Rd, London W12 0NR
Chef Avi Shashidhara took over what was The Queen Adelaide in Shepherd's Bush to relaunch it as a pub with a great Indian kitchen. He comes from Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai in Fitzrovia (where he won a Michelin Bib Gourmand) and he also had an appearance in Great British Menu. At The Talli Queen, he's taking inspiration from Kerala's toddy shops, Bangalore's neighbourhood pubs and more.
Opening date: 27 October 2026
Forbici
London Bridge - 120 Tooley Street, London SE1 2TH
The second pizzeria to open in London this week comes from Manchester, where the original pizzeria won a spot in the Best Pizza Awards top 50 list. Their pizzas aim to be light and airy, with options including the Provola e Pepe, featuring San Marzano tomato, smoked provola, black pepper and fresh basil.
Opening date: 27 October 2026
Here's what opened last week
PAM (Clerkenwell) - Karla Knowles (ex Kiln head chef) leads an impressive Thai restaurant.
Solis (Soho) - It appeared at Arcade, and now the chicken and steak restaurant opens a standalone space.
Lucky Grill (Kensington) - What was once Krokodilos has become a grill restaurant (from the same group)
Bubala (Covent Garden) - The vegetarian Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant opens its biggest yet.
Roast Shoreditch (Shoreditch) - After 20 years in Borough Market, Roast opened a second restaurant.
This week's events
25 October (Islington, Battersea, Shoreditch & Richmond) - NOCI celebrates World Pasta Day with 400 bowls of Cacio e Pepe priced at just 1p. From 3-5pm, the first 100 guests at each restaurant can grab a bowl when ordering another full-price dish, with 25 portions available to pre-book and the rest reserved for walk-ins.
26 October (Mayfair) - Pavyllon London’s Counter Culture series closes its 2026 programme with Yannick Alléno and Jason Atherton cooking a six-course collab dinner. Expect dishes including king crab with farmhouse cream and nori broth and A5 Kagoshima wagyu with preserved truffle sauce. Tickets are £195pp, with an optional £165 drinks pairing.
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